Larry Lupin and That Which is Broken
by HeadlessHuntsman
Summary: The war is over for everyone except Harry Potter. He still fights it every night in his dreams. It has started to affect his relationships, that's something the universe can not have. Enter Larry Lupin, Harry's Were-Squid Half twin brother from an alternate dimension. His job is to fix things that go all wibbly wobbly. The problem is, how do you fix someones soul.
1. Chapter 1

Larry Lupin and That Which is Broken

This was written for the Crack fiction challenge at the Teacher's Lounge.

Chapter One

The war was over! At least that's what Harry kept having to tell himself. It seemed that Harry's subconscious had not gotten that all important news. Harry was still waking almost nightly with nightmarish visions of dead friends laid out in front of him. Even those whom Harry knew had lived were not spared in Harry's mind.

It was one such nightmare that had driven Harry from the castle, where the crews helping repair the castle were staying. Ginny had gone home to grieve with her family. Harry had been told by Mr and Mrs Weasley to come stay with them, as he was considered family. Harry thanked them but told them there was stuff he wanted to work out alone. They didn't agree with him but respected his decision. Ginny was not so understanding. She knew what Harry was going through and wanted to help him. Harry couldn't explain it, but he felt for some reason he would be hurting Ginny if he let her help him. He hadn't been able to explain his feelings completely to her, and this caused the largest fight the couple had ever had. He just knew that Ginny could not help him with this if she was going to be safe. Ginny saw this as cowardly and a cop out and told Harry as much before stomping off and not speaking to him again.

Ron and Hermione had left soon after to find Hermione's parents in Australia. Hermione had not invited Harry to help but asked for support from Ron. Harry joined up with the repair crews because it gave him something to do, and he thought that if he helped repair the damage to the castle it would somehow help him heal, he was wrong. Everything was changing ... except Harry. He was stuck in the war in his head, and everyday it felt like he was losing a little more ground.

The night air was humid and still. Harry walked aimlessly towards Hagrid's new hut. The old one had been destroyed in the war, and they had built him a new one. The windows were dark, and no one answered Harry's knock. So Harry sat on the porch and looked out over the grounds. He saw the hill sloping down towards the lake and then back up again to the castle. If he closed his eyes, he could still smell the fear and death coming from that tranquil place. Harry shook his head, stood up, and walked towards the lake.

He saw her come out of the forest and wrap her shawl tightly, almost as if she was cold despite the heat and humidity. Harry wondered what Professor Sinistra was doing out of the castle and in the forest this late at night. He followed her and caught up with her at the castle gates.

"Professor," he said, jogging up to her. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Oh my stars, Potter! You frightened me," she said, quickly regaining her composure. "I think more to the point is what are you doing out of the castle?"

"I couldn't sleep, and I went to see if Hagrid was back yet," Harry said, unsure. "So what were you doing in the forest? It's not that safe, ya know."

"Oh, dear boy. Thank you for your concern, but I had matters to discuss concerning the stars and their portent with the centaurs, and I am not completely helpless. Here, let me show you something," she said, turning Harry around so he could see a spot in the night sky. "See that band of stars right there?" she asked, pointing to the sky.

"You mean the one that looks kinda like the Giant Squid?" Harry asked.

"Well yes, I suppose it does a bit. Yes, I can see it now. So do you know what that is called?"

"Uhm ... sorry, Professor, I don't."

"That's right, you don't. In fact no one does. It just appeared the night after the war. The centaurs were of little use, as is the norm," she said disgustedly. "All they would say is that it was a portent of the Harbinger." She cleared her voice and did a perfect impression of a dispassionate centaur. "And the son shall precede the sire and all that is broken shall be made whole and that which is torn asunder shall be rejoined." She cleared her throat. "What the bloody hell does that mean?"

"Sounds like Trelawny," Harry grinned.

Professor Sinistra grinned and patted Harry on the shoulder. "I suppose it does. You try and get some sleep, Potter," she said, going into the castle.

"I will, Professor," he said distractedly, looking at the night sky and rubbing his scar out of habit. "I will."

-ooo-

Across the lake from the castle in a hidden cove, the waters of the Black Lake began to roil and bubble. Bright green light began to grow in the depths of the lake and move closer to the surface. As the light got closer to the surface, it began to take from of a man. Well, it was mostly a man except it had tentacles and an almost wolf-like face. The creature carried a large wicked axe across his back and had an air about him that screamed death as he walked across the last few feet of water to the shore

The creature looked around and took his bearings. He walked back to the shore of the lake and bent down putting his face close to the black waters, as if listening to something.

"Hmm ... yeah, Carl, I see how that could be a problem. Thanks for letting me know," the creature said. A large tentacle burst from the waters and squeezed his shoulder. "Yeah, it has been too long," he said. "I miss the swims too. Tell you what: I will get this mess figured out here, and when I get back, Phoebe and I will come visit." The man-creature paused as if listening. "I would like that, too. Again, thanks for the heads up. It seems my brother doesn't even know how to win properly. What's that?"

The man crooked his head to listen more intently. "Yeah okay, I will try to take it easy on him ... to start. But I tell you if he starts whining about all the people who died, I am not sure I can hold my tongue. I mean, I am just so sick and tired of all this mamby-pamby boo-hooing about the bloody dead. They fought a war, people died, and they won. That's what wars are about: killing people and breaking shite." The man had started pacing up and down the shoreline. "Generals lead people to their death to cause other death. That's what they do. That's what Caesar did, and you didn't hear him saying, '_I came, __I __conquered__... I feel really bad about it.__'_" The water exploded, splashing the man. "Yeah okay ... not highly helpful. I get it," the man said sheepishly.

The tentacles slowly sank back beneath the waters, and the man turned towards the castle. Yep, Harry Potter was broken, and like most things in this universe when they break you call a repairman. The repairman in this case was his Were-Squid half brother twin from a different dimension.

"Yeah," Larry Luping said aloud disgustedly. "This is gonna be a piece of cake."

He adjusted the Axe and headed off towards the castle, not having a clue as to where to start.


	2. Chapter 2

Larry Lupin and That Which Is Broken

Chapter Two

Larry made his way through the forest onto the castle grounds. He needed to get close to Harry and convince him he was here to help him. Larry walked up the main path to the castle still debating, in his mind, how he was going to solve the mess Harry was in this time. Larry walked to the side of the castle and and melded in with the darkening shadows.

He emerged a few moments later next to the repaired gargoyles that marked the stairs to the Head Master's office. Larry sat looking at the stone faces lost in his thought. He heard a scratching and scurrying from one of the dark corners. Without looking away he shot out a tentacle and snatched something from the shadows.

Larry held the squirming rat up in front of his face, focusing his eyes on the eyes of his captive.

"Relax little friend," he said almost purring. The rat ceased in it's struggle.

"Show me what I need to know," Larry said softly.

Larry concentrated for a few moments longer before nodding and placing the rat back on the ground.

"Thanks," he murmured turning to the gargoyles.

"Fidelity," he spoke and the Gargoyles moved aside giving him access to the spiraling stairs.

Larry climbed the stairs quickly, and stopped in front of the great oak doors leading into the office.

Larry considered his options. The office of the Head Master of Hogwarts was one of the few places in all the dimensions blocked off to his powers. He raised his hand to knock when the doors flew open and a tall stern looking woman stopped short of barreling him over.

"Who are you? How did you get here?" The woman asked drawing her wand.

"Relax lady," Larry said raising his hands to show they were empty. "I came here to talk to you."

"How did you get up here?" She demanded, not lowering her wand. "I just changed the password."

Larry maneuvered his way into the front room still holding his hands up.

"I was sent here to fix something," Larry started to explain. He backed away further towards one of the large bookcases.

"Sent? By whom?" The woman asked poking his wand towards his chest.

"Look lady, I seldom do my best work backed against a bookcase. If you just calm down a bit and let me explain..."

"Explain what? How your here to finish what your precious Dark Lord started," she snapped.

"Oh, bugger this," Larry sighed. He shot out three previously hidden tentacles so fast that the woman had no time to react. He snatched he wand from her hand with one, used another to grab a nearby chair and used the third to unceremoniously dump her into the chair.

He slid another chair over to himself and sat in front of the now disarmed lady.

"Headmistress McGonagall, my name is Larry Lupin," he noticed the look on the woman's face at the mention of his last name. "I am Remus Lupin's son from a different dimension."

"You expect me to believe that balderdash?" She asked.

"You've got spunk lady. I'll give you that," Larry said scratching the back of his neck. "I hate spunk."

"What are you going to do?"

"Like I said, I am here to fix something." Larry noticed the disbelieving look on her face. "I can tell I am going to have to explain everything. I ask you not to interrupt until I am finished. If, after that, you still require proof I can give it to you."

"Being that I am your captive; I really don't have a choice, do I?"

"You really don't. As I said I am Remus Lupin's son from a different dimension. There are an infinite number of other dimensions. Each one different and unique. As an example, in my home dimension Remus Lupin had a son. I was one of six children brought into this world through a ritual all designed to keep one little child safe. That child was Harry Potter and my mother was Lily Potter," Larry saw the shock beginning to wear off. He also saw McGonagall staring intently at his features.

"I was altered on a genetic level and sent to live with the merpeople of the Black Lake. There I was found by Gaia and further changed. I am what you might call a repairman. I have been given the ability to travel between dimensions. When something goes all wonky I am sent to set it right," Larry stood up and began pacing.

"You see each of these dimensions has a destiny that is laid out before it. Something out there, I don't know what, is causing these destinies to shift and change. I am here to set it back on the right course."

"Assuming I believe you, and I don't, what needs fixing here."

Larry shook his head. "Not until I can count on your help."

"You mentioned something about proof?"

Larry nodded and walked over to one of the paintings.

"Have you ever wondered about this painting," Larry said pointing at a framed painting of the Parthenon in Athens. "Why there are not people?"

"It's a landscape," McGonagall said dismissively.

"Really? You're sure are you?"

Larry turned to the painting and concentrated.

"Athena, Are you there?"

Suddenly an unearthly beautiful woman appeared in the painting. McGonagall gasped.

"Brother, what is it?" the woman asked smiling.

"I'm not your brother," Larry growled. "I need to speak with Gaia can you contact her for me."

"Is that all I am to you," the goddess pouted, "a telephone operator."

"Athena please, I need to speak with your mother can you please get her," Larry snarled between his teeth.

"You're always so grumpy. I really don't know what Phoebe sees in you."

"Athena..." Larry snapped louder.

"Fine, wait there. I'll let her know," and she was gone.

After a few moments of staring at an empty painting a new figure appeared. This one was older than the first and dressed in a green gauzy material that left little to the imagination.

"Larry, what do you need this time?" The portrait asked.

"Gaia, I need you to convince someone I am who I say I am," Larry said.

"Can't you convince this person yourself?"

"I could but I thought we were in a hurry. You know, time is of the essence and all that."

Gaia sighed very well. The whole castle began to shake as if stuck at the epicenter of an earthquake. At the same time dark clouds began to grow outside the castle became and lightning streaked across the previously clear skies.

Larry turned to McGonagall and smirked. "Convinced?"

McGonagall swallowed and nodded.

Larry looked at the portrait and cocked his head. "Thanks, yeah?"

The clouds outside dissipated and and the thunder stopped.

"So Mr. Lupin, why are you here?" McGonagall asked, regaining her composure.

"I am here because my brother needs help. His destiny has been has be knocked wibbly wobbly by something. I need to set it right."

"What are you going to do?'

"In this particular instance I am gonna have to play Cupid," Larry answered sighing.

"What do you mean?"

"Harry has more possible futures than any other person. He is one of the very few dimensional constants. In fact most Talismans are," Larry talked almost as if trying to reason something out.

"Most what are?"

"Talismans. That's what Harry is. He is a Talisman of Light. Let's just say that Harry is important to this dimensions survival, and leave it at that." Larry sat back in the chair opposite McGonagall and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

"Harry needs to be with a certain person in this dimension. This Harry is one of the broken ones. Harry usually goes one of two ways. He either gets tough or he gets so fragile that a stray memory or wrong word with send him spiraling into despair like a kamikaze pilot," Larry smirked. "Just my luck this is probably one of the most broken Harry's in all of creation."

McGonagall nodded. She had noticed Harry's depression and his self loathing.

"There is another constant. Whenever there is a broken Harry there are only two people who can help him heal. One is Nymphadora Tonks."

"But she is..." McGonagall started to say.

"Dead. Yeah I know. That leaves just one person and that person is Ginny Weasley."

"But they aren't together any more. They had a large fight and broke it off."

"Yeah I heard. Carl told me," Larry said absently.

"Who's Carl?" She asked.

"My godfather, the giant squid in the lake."

"The giant squid has a name? And he's your godfather?"

"Well yeah he has a name, don't you? And as for being my godfather, you have Dumbledore to thank for that."

"Albus?"

"Yeah in my home dimension he is the one who cooked up the scheme to have Lily Potter give birth to sextuplets of different fathers. He then took me away and had me raised by the merpeople. He giant squid looked out for me and really was my only friend for a long time."

"Do you have any idea how you are going to get Harry and Ginny together?"

"Usually when I have a problem, I just hit it with the Axe until it stops squirming."

"I don't think that will work this time" McGonagall smiled unable to control herself. This ceature was crass, rude and uncivilized but she could not help but like Larry.

"Yeah, I'll figure something out. I always do." Larry stood up and straightened his robes.

"First things first, have you got any moonpies?"


	3. Chapter 3

That Which is Broken Chapter Three

A/N: This chapter is really short but necessary to move the story.

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters you recognize.

Larry left his meeting with the Headmistress with a plan. He was going to join the same work team as Harry and see just how badly his idiot brother had screwed things up this time. A house-elf named Wibbley showed Larry were the workmen were staying. Larry waited until the elf left, melded into the shadows, and waited until morning.

The next morning Larry slid out of the shadows and took up pace alongside Harry.

"Hey," Harry said, noticing the newcomer."You're new on the team."

Larry nodded, hoping the robes he was wearing covered his tentacles.

"I'm Harry," he said, extending his hand.

Larry grasped it and shook it firmly. "Larry," he said, pointing at himself. "I went to school here a long time ago. This seemed like the perfect time to pay her back."

"Have we met? You look familiar."

"I doubt it. I've been abroad for many years."

"You don't look that old," Harry commented as they walked down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"I age well," Larry commented, following Harry to the Gryffindor table that Harry sat at out of habit.

The tables were suddenly laden with all sorts of breakfast foods. Larry filled his plate with every kind of meat that was on the table and tucked in. Harry watched as he devoured several plates filled solely with meat.

"Master Larry," a ghostly voice called out from above the Hufflepuff table. The Fat Friar came into sight and floated towards the table. "It's so good to see you again." The Friar chuckled. "How did that other nasty business play out?"

"Uhm, yeah ..." Larry stammered, swallowing a bit of sausage. He realized that Harry was now staring at him. "It went fine; everything's back to normal."

"Well, as normal as it can be for a Harbinger, huh?" The Friar laughed and floated away.

Harry started at the word 'Harbinger.' He had heard Professor Sinistra say that very word the night before. Harry looked at the man sitting beside him and noticed that while he looked normal there was something else. Something in the man's eyes looked not quite human and decidedly dangerous.

"Who are you, really?" Harry asked.

"Let's take a walk," Larry said, standing up. "You can bring your wand if you don't trust me."

Harry looked at him and pondered his choices. He nodded, finally deciding something, then stood up and left through the main gate with Larry.

"Here's the deal," Larry started to explain, walking by the lake. "I am here to help you figure some stuff out. The universe is made up of an infinite number of dimensions, each one unique while at the same time similar to those around it. Sometimes things go wrong." Larry picked up a rock and skipped it across the surface of the lake. "When they do she sends me to fix it."

Harry, who had been listening quietly, asked, "Who's she?"

Larry smiled. "Gaia, the Earth goddess. The mother of all creation. She tends to get testy when her handiwork gets messed up."

"So when it does she sends you?"

"That's the idea."

"So then why are you here? There's nothing wrong. Voldemort is dead," Harry said, his voice turning dark. "Everyone is happy and going on with their lives."

"Not everyone," Larry said, looking at his brother.

Harry bent over and picked up a rock. "Everyone that matters," he said, flinging it angrily across the lake.

Larry looked at his brother and shook his head. "Are you fucking kidding me? Look, Nancy, you need to wake up and realize what you could have." Larry started to pace, slowly growing in size. "You know, I've been to about a million different realities, and in each and every one you are a whiney little bitch!" Harry jumped back at the force of Larry's words. "Always moping around crying about one thing or another," Larry growled, shooting out a tentacle and grabbing the front of Harry's work clothes, pulling him close to his face. "Well I got news for ya, Sunshine, I'm here to make sure you get yer happily ever after," Larry growled and tossed Harry aside like a rag doll. "Even if it kills you."

Harry pulled himself out of the mud in time to see Larry stomping off towards the castle still muttering to himself.


End file.
